Several species of Ants were found in the Manly Dam region the most notable of which are - Giant Bulldog ant, Golden-tailed spiny ant (pictured above), Jumping Jack ant, Red headed spider ant, Green headed ant and many others.

The Green headed ants are very common throughout Australia, including in urban habitats. They play an important role in dispersing the seeds of many native plants and are especially important for helping forests regenerate after fires.

Manly Dam being part of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is home to a variety of native wildflowers as is noted in our survey. Thus it is natural that a number of pollinator insects including bees were observed - some notable ones being Blue banded bee (pictured above), Reed bee, Leaf cutter & resin bees, European honey bee and Carpenter bee.

Over 31 species of Butterflies and Moths were observed, belonging to the order Lepidoptera.

While butterflies get all the love, moths play an important role in pollination too.

There were nearly 30 species of flies included in the survey from various orders. The primary ones included in the survey are of the order Odonata (Dragonflies & Damselflies); Diptera (true flies) as well as order Hymenoptera which includes sawflies (closely related to bees).

Bristle-tailed flies (pictured above) among others are excellent for controlling pests as the larvae of most species are parasites or parasitoids or other insects. Along with that, some species like Lovebugs help decompose leaf litter. Some of the flies also act as pollinators

Hemipteras are an order of insects which include Cicadas, leafhoppers, aphids and other bugs.

Nearly 20 species of Hemipteras were identified including the Hemipteran Nymph (Aphrophoridae Sp.) or Spittle bug (pictured above) which makes a foamy home. The full list of Hemipteras can be found here.

Manly dam is home to the magnificient blue-eyed lacewing, one of Australia’s largest lacewing species (pictured above). They feed on insects that blunder into the conical pits they build in loose soil or sand. Apart from them, another 5 species of Mantis/Lacewing/Leaf Insect were found.

There were also 5 other species of invertebrates found including slugs and slime moulds. Interestingly Slime moulds are neither plants nor animals. They can move, but they don't have legs or wings. They appear to make complex decisions, often motivated by the promise of food.

Over 21 species of spiders and other arachnids were found in the Manly Dam region.

Some of them exhibit interesting behaviours such as the Red Velvet mite which feeds on other mites and insects and the Common Jumping Spider (pictured above) are excellent day-active predators that actively hunt for prey, rather than building webs. Interestingly, Jumping spiders, jump by pushing their version of blood rapidly into the legs causing them to straighten explosively. This hydraulic leg system allows jumping spiders to jump astonishing distances.

Termites play a key role in the functioning of tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems and influence the distribution of natural resources such as water, nutrients in the landscape and consequently the diversity of soil microbes, plants and animals.

Nathan Lo identified 11 species in the Manly Dam region. The full list of termites can be found here and here is a reference to the ecological role they play.